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Ethernet transceiver for SparcBook 3

I have a Tadpole SparcBook 3 that I would like to revive, and it appears I
don't have a transceiver that will work for it. I don't know the technical
specifications for the interface that it has onboard, but it's basically 2
densely-packed connection squares where the network icon is printed. If
someone can tell me what I need to get to hook this up to a modern RJ45-
based network, or even if someone has the part I need, I'd be grateful for
the help. If need be, I can take a picture of the back of the book to show
the exact connector it uses.

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> I have a Tadpole SparcBook 3 that I would like to revive, and it appears I
> don't have a transceiver that will work for it. I don't know the technical
> specifications for the interface that it has onboard, but it's basically 2
> densely-packed connection squares where the network icon is printed. If
> someone can tell me what I need to get to hook this up to a modern RJ45-
> based network, or even if someone has the part I need, I'd be grateful for
> the help. If need be, I can take a picture of the back of the book to show
> the exact connector it uses.

The cable you need is the same used to connect to the mini-aui connector
found on SPARCstation 5 and 20. I think the Sun partnumber for it was
530-1812, but I am not 100% sure (and I gave my last one to a fellow
SPARCbook user earlier this year...)

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Slor <> writes:
>I have a Tadpole SparcBook 3 that I would like to revive, and it appears I
>don't have a transceiver that will work for it. I don't know the technical
>specifications for the interface that it has onboard, but it's basically 2
>densely-packed connection squares where the network icon is printed. If
>someone can tell me what I need to get to hook this up to a modern RJ45-
>based network, or even if someone has the part I need, I'd be grateful for
>the help. If need be, I can take a picture of the back of the book to show
>the exact connector it uses.

It was a fairly standard Sun part..
(But the SCSI connectors on those things certainly weren't).

NOTE: You will still need a transceiver to use with the cable. A
10baseT transceiver should not cost more than $20.00 USD. However, I
think that the Tadpole cable has a 10baseT transceiver built into it.

Maybe Ultraspec can dig up one out of some warehouse
someplace. Prepare to pay over $100 for it though.

I did get a hit on the Sun X981A at http://www.memoryX.net/ which I've
bought lots of Sun memory and such at over many many years. While the
page doesn't list a price or stock levels (and may be left over
cruft), it would be worth asking them as well.

After you get the AUI, you'll need an AUI to 10-Base-T transceiver,
which are probably a dime a dozen if you can find anybody listing them
still. (well, since they are "rare" I suppose they'll get $20 for them now).

On 2011-08-09, Slor <> wrote:
> I have a Tadpole SparcBook 3 that I would like to revive, and it appears I
> don't have a transceiver that will work for it. I don't know the technical
> specifications for the interface that it has onboard, but it's basically 2
> densely-packed connection squares where the network icon is printed. If
> someone can tell me what I need to get to hook this up to a modern RJ45-
> based network, or even if someone has the part I need, I'd be grateful for
> the help. If need be, I can take a picture of the back of the book to show
> the exact connector it uses.

I was working with one for a while, and I found that those grod
connectors were the same as used on some early Mac laptops. I was able
to find the ones needed for the adaptor to SCSI from the local
MicroCenter -- just as they were closing out their stocks of those
connectors (about three or four years back, I think). I thought that
the second of those connectors was used for an interface to the printer,
and the actual ethernet connector was the common AUI connector (DA-15 --
which a lot of people mis-call DB-15). So -- for that, you need a
transceiver to the network format which you want to use. Probably a
10BaseT would be the one to use these days.

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